‘Let Me Finish!’ Tucker Carlson Grills Asa Hutchinson In Heated Interview Over Vetoing Transgender Youth Bill

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) got into a heated exchange during a conversation about whether the government should oppose minors from seeking gender-affirming care.

Carlson, who is questioning the 2024 Republican presidential candidates at the Family Leadership Summit in Des, Moines, Iowa on Friday, opened his interview with Hutchinson about his 2021 veto of a bill that would have restricted gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Hutchinson justified his actions to the GOP crowd by claiming that treatment for transgender youth should be decided by parents and that he believed it would be unconstitutional for the government to restrict those rights. However, Carlson continued to hammer the GOP hopeful over the issue.

Carlson asked Hutchinson whether gender care was legitimate medical treatment for a child  because it  prevents them “from going through the natural process of adolescence,” to which the governor responds, “Well, Tucker, I hope that we’ll be able to talk about some issues.”

“Well, this is one of the biggest issues in the country. And I think every person in this room would agree that it is a central issue because these are children who are being altered permanently,” Carlson says as the crowd begins clapping in agreement.

Things got heated when Hutchinson then pivoted his response to bashing schools that “promoted transgenderism” before being interrupted by Carlson.

“For example, when President Obama issued the order from the Department of Education that you ought to have bathrooms in the schools that the children can choose what their gender is and go to which bathroom they think they are that day. I said that is not consistent with the law. I said that…”

Carlson interject, “But you said that children should be able to choose their gender and their parents should be able to affirm that. And the state has no role in getting involved. So how is that different? You’re saying that a child shouldn’t be able to choose a bathroom, but he can choose his sex? I don’t understand.”

“Let me finish what I said. Let me finish,” Hutchinson answered back, appearing annoyed.

“Oh, I hope you will, please do,” Carlson quipped back.

Hutchinson then concluded by saying the government should not push an agenda in schools, and that “parents and communities in our faith” should “guide us through these difficult decisions.

Watch the full clip above.

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